Montreal Fashion Week: Elemental at Lovas, all-American hipsters at Soïa & Kyo and more from day three [gallery]

LOVAS Spring 2011. Photography courtesy of Sensation Mode

By Ashley Joseph

It seems the Toronto imports are giving Montreal designers a run for their money this week. Wednesday evening’s shows began with Montreal-born rookie label Serum by Marta M and suffice it to say, we were off to a slow start. So when Toronto label Lovas Wesley Badanjak burst onto the runway with wearable, well thought out womenswear, the crowd couldn’t help but swoon.

The biochemist-turned-designer earned his stripes under the tutelage of David Dixon. The show moved in perfect harmony from one color story to the next, seamlessly transitioning from hot pinks to lime greens to gingham and metallics. Repping his roots in the scientific world, Badanjak explained the inspiration behind his collection, aptly titled “Elemental.”

“The colors were all taken from the periodic table of elements. I used chiffon to represent the transparency of gases, greys to represent metals, yellow for sulfur and pink for super-heated gases.”

Later on, repping the Montreal pack, two homegrown labels made their city proud. With over a decade of design under her belt, it comes as no surprise that Iris Setlakwe would present a perfectly tailored collection, this season filled with summer suits (think trouser shorts teamed with three-quarter sleeve blazers), rompers, and effortless day-to-night looks.

Soïa & Kyo upped the ante with an all-American hipster take on classic outerwear and a soundtrack to match, with quirky remakes of ’80s classics like Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” covered by Florence and the Machine. Bold style choices included oversized red-framed glasses à la Sally Jessy Raphael, zip-up windbreakers tucked into pencil skirts, and waist-belts over trenches and drawstring-hem parkas. Has there ever been a more appropriate pairing than geek chic and SJR?

See a gallery of looks from day three of Montreal Fashion Week»

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